the two brothers-第20章

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genius。　Moreover；　the　suburb　which　extends　from　the　castle　in　a

northerly　direction　is　intersected　by　a　street　which　for　more　than　two

thousand　years　has　borne　the　name　of　the　rue　de　Rome；　and　the

inhabitants　of　this　suburb；　whose　racial　characteristics；　blood；　and

physiognomy　have　a　special　stamp　of　their　own；　call　themselves

descendants　of　the　Romans。　They　are　nearly　all　vine…growers；　and

display　a　remarkable　inflexibility　of　manners　and　customs；　due；

undoubtedly；　to　their　origin；perhaps　also　to　their　victory　over　the

Cottereaux　and　the　Routiers；　whom　they　exterminated　on　the　plain　of

Charost　in　the　twelfth　century。



After　the　insurrection　of　1830；　France　was　too　agitated　to　pay　much

attention　to　the　rising　of　the　vine…growers　of　Issoudun；　a　terrible

affair；　the　facts　of　which　have　never　been　made　public；for　good

reasons。　In　the　first　place；　the　bourgeois　of　Issoudun　refused　to

allow　the　military　to　enter　the　town。　They　followed　the　use　and　wont

of　the　bourgeoisie　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　declared　themselves

responsible　for　their　own　city。　The　government　was　obliged　to　yield　to

a　sturdy　people　backed　up　by　seven　or　eight　thousand　vine…growers；　who

had　burned　all　the　archives；　also　the　offices　of　〃indirect　taxation；〃

and　had　dragged　through　the　streets　a　customs　officer；　crying　out　at

every　street　lantern；　〃Let　us　hang　him　here！〃　The　poor　man's　life　was

saved　by　the　national　guard；　who　took　him　to　prison　on　pretext　of

drawing　up　his　indictment。　The　general　in　command　only　entered　the

town　by　virtue　of　a　compromise　made　with　the　vine…growers；　and　it

needed　some　courage　to　go　among　them。　At　the　moment　when　he　showed

himself　at　the　hotel…de…ville；　a　man　from　the　faubourg　de　Rome　slung　a

〃volant〃　round　his　neck　（the　〃volant〃　is　a　huge　pruning…hook　fastened

to　a　pole；　with　which　they　trim　trees）　crying　out；　〃No　more　clerks；　or

there's　an　end　to　compromise！〃　The　fellow　would　have　taken　off　that

honored　head；　left　untouched　by　sixteen　years　of　war；　had　it　not　been

for　the　hasty　intervention　of　one　of　the　leaders　of　the　revolt；　to

whom　a　promise　had　been　made　that　THE　CHAMBERS　SHOULD　BE　ASKED　TO

SUPPRESS　THE　EXCISEMEN。



In　the　fourteenth　century；　Issoudun　still　had　sixteen　or　seventeen

thousand　inhabitants；　remains　of　a　population　double　that　number　in

the　time　of　Rigord。　Charles　VII。　possessed　a　mansion　which　still

exists；　and　was　known；　as　late　as　the　eighteenth　century；　as　the

Maison　du　Roi。　This　town；　then　a　centre　of　the　woollen　trade；　supplied

that　commodity　to　the　greater　part　of　Europe；　and　manufactured　on　a

large　scale　blankets；　hats；　and　the　excellent　Chevreautin　gloves。

Under　Louis　XIV。；　Issoudun；　the　birthplace　of　Baron　and　Bourdaloue；

was　always　cited　as　a　city　of　elegance　and　good　society；　where　the

language　was　correctly　spoken。　The　curate　Poupard；　in　his　History　of

Sancerre；　mentions　the　inhabitants　of　Issoudun　as　remarkable　among　the

other　Berrichons　for　subtlety　and　natural　wit。　To…day；　the　wit　and　the

splendor　have　alike　disappeared。　Issoudun；　whose　great　extent　of

ground　bears　witness　to　its　ancient　importance；　has　now　barely　twelve

thousand　inhabitants；　including　the　vine…dressers　of　four　enormous

suburbs；those　of　Saint…Paterne；　Vilatte；　Rome；　and　Alouette；　which

are　really　small　towns。　The　bourgeoisie；　like　that　of　Versailles；　are

spread　over　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　streets。　Issoudun　still

holds　the　market　for　the　fleeces　of　Berry；　a　commerce　now　threatened

by　improvements　in　the　stock　which　are　being　introduced　everywhere

except　in　Berry。



The　vineyards　of　Issoudun　produce　a　wine　which　is　drunk　throughout　the

two　departments；　and　which；　if　manufactured　as　Burgundy　and　Gascony

manufacture　theirs；　would　be　one　of　the　best　wines　in　France。　Alas；

〃to　do　as　our　fathers　did；〃　with　no　innovations；　is　the　law　of　the

land。　Accordingly；　the　vine…growers　continue　to　leave　the　refuse　of

the　grape　in　the　juice　during　its　fermentation；　which　makes　the　wine

detestable；　when　it　might　be　a　source　of　ever…springing　wealth；　and　an

industry　for　the　community。　Thanks　to　the　bitterness　which　the　refuse

infuses　into　the　wine；　and　which；　they　say；　lessens　with　age；　a

vintage　will　keep　a　century。　This　reason；　given　by　the　vine…grower　in

excuse　for　his　obstinacy；　is　of　sufficient　importance　to　oenology　to

be　made　public　here；　Guillaume　le　Breton　has　also　proclaimed　it　in

some　lines　of　his　〃Phillippide。〃



The　decline　of　Issoudun　is　explained　by　this　spirit　of　sluggishness；

sunken　to　actual　torpor；　which　a　single　fact　will　illustrate。　When　the

authorities　were　talking　of　a　highroad　between　Paris　and　Toulouse；　it

was　natural　to　think　of　taking　it　from　Vierzon　to　Chateauroux　by　way

of　Issoudun。　The　distance　was　shorter　than　to　make　it；　as　the　road　now

is；　through　Vatan；　but　the　leading　people　of　the　neighborhood　and　the

city　council　of　Issoudun　（whose　discussion　of　the　matter　is　said　to　be

recorded）；　demanded　that　it　should　go　by　Vatan；　on　the　ground　that　if

the　highroad　went　through　their　town；　provisions　would　rise　in　price

and　they　might　be　forced　to　pay　thirty　sous　for　a　chicken。　The　only

analogy　to　be　found　for　this　proceeding　is　in　the　wilder　parts　of

Sardinia；　a　land　once　so　rich　and　populous；　now　so　deserted。　When

Charles　Albert；　with　a　praiseworthy　intention　of　civilization；　wished

to　unite　Sassari；　the　second　capital　of　the　island；　with　Cagliari　by　a

magnificent　highway　（the　only　one　ever　made　in　that　wild　waste　by　name

Sardinia）；　the　direct　line　lay　through　Bornova；　a　district　inhabited

by　lawless　people；　all　the　more　like　our　Arab　tribes　because　they　are

descended　from　the　Moors。　Seeing　that　they　were　about　to　fall　into　the

clutches　of　civilization；　the　savages　of　Bornova；　without　taking　the

trouble　to　discuss　the　matter；　declared　their　opposition　to　the　road。

The　government　took　no　notice　of　it。　The　first　engineer　who　came　to

survey　it；　got　a　ball　through　his　head；　and　died　on　his　level。　No

action　was　taken　on　this　murder；　but　the　road　made　a　circuit　which

lengthened　it　by　eight　miles！



The　continual　lowering　of　the　price　of　wines　drunk　in　the

neighborhood；　though　it　may　satisfy　the　desire　of　the　bourgeoisie　of

Issoudun　for　cheap　provisions；　is　leading　the　way　to　the　ruin　of　the

vine…growers；　who　are　more　and　more　burdened　with　the　costs　of

cultivation　and　the　taxes；　just　as　the　ruin　of　the　woollen　trade　is

the　result　of　the　non…improvement　in　the　breeding　of　sheep。　Country…

folk　have　the　deepest　horror　of　change；　even　that　which　is　most

conducive　to　their　interests。　In　the　country；　a　Parisian　meets　a

laborer　who　eats　an　enormous　quantity　of　bread；　cheese；　and

vegetables；　he　proves　to　him　that　if　he　would　substitute　for　that　diet

a　certain　portion　of　meat；　he　would　be　better　fed；　at　less　cost；　that

he　could　work　more；　and　would　not　use　up　his　capital　of　health　and

strength　so　quickly。　The　Berrichon　sees　the　correctness　of　the

calculation；　but　he　answers；　〃Think　of　the　gossip；　monsieur。〃　〃Gossip；

what　do　you　mean？〃　〃Well；　yes；　what　would　people　say　of　me？〃　〃He　would

be　the　talk　of　the　neighborhood；〃　said　the　owner　of　the　property　on

which　this　scene　took　place；　〃they　would　think　him　as　rich　as　a

tradesman。　He　is　afraid　of　public　opinion；　afraid　of　being　pointed　at；

afraid　of　seeming　ill　or　feeble。　That's　how　we　all　are　in　this

region。〃　Many　of　the　bourgeoisie　utter　this　phrase　with　feelings　of

inward　pride。



While　ignorance　and　custom　are　invincible　in　the　country　regions；

where　the　peasants　are　left　very　much　to　themselves；　the　town　of

Issoudun　itself　has　reached　a　state　of　complete　social　stagnation。

Obliged　to　meet　the　decadence　of　fortunes　by　the　practice　of　sordid

economy；　each　family　lives　to　itself。　Moreover；　society　is　permanently

deprived　of　that　distinction　of　classes　which　gives　character　to

manners　and　customs。　There　is　no　opposition　of　social　forces；　such　as

that　to　which　the　cities　of　the　Italian　States　in　the　Middle　Ages　owed

their　vitality。　There　are　no　longer　any　nobles　in　Issoudun。　The

Cottereaux；　the　Routiers；　the　Jacquerie；　the　religious　wars　and　the

Revolution　did　away　with　the　nobility。　The　town　is　proud　of　that

triumph。　Issoudun　has　repeatedly　refused　to　receive　a　garrison；　always

on　the　plea　of　cheap　provisions。　She　has　thus　lost　a　means　of

intercourse　with　the　age；　and　she　has　also　lost　the　profits　arising

from　the　presence　of　troops。　Before　1756；　Issoudun　was　one　of　the　most

delightful　of　all　the　garrison　towns。　A　judicial　drama；　which　occupied

for　a　time　the　attention　of　France；　the　feud　of　a　lieutenant…general

of　the　department　with　the　Marquis　de　Chapt；　whose　son；　an　officer　of

dragoons；　was　put　to　death；justly　perhaps；　yet　traitorously；　for

some　affair　of　gallantry；deprived　the　town　from　that　time　forth　of　a

garrison。　The　sojourn　of　the　forty…fourth　demi…brigade；　imposed　upon

it　during　the　civil　war；　was　not　of　a　nature　to　reconcile　the

inhabitants　to　the　race　of　warriors。



Bourges；　whose　population　is　yearly　decreasing；　is　a　victim　of　the

same　social　malady。　Vitality　is　leaving　these　communities。

Undoubtedly；　the　government　is　to　blame。　The　duty　of　an　administration

is　to　discover　the　wounds　upon　the　body…politic；　and　remedy　them　by

sending　men　of　energy　to　the　diseased　regions；　with　power　to　change

the　state　of　things。　Alas；　so　far　from　that；　it　approves　and

encourages　this　ominous　and　fatal　tranquillity。　Besides；　it　may　be

asked；　how　could　the　government　send　new　administrators　and　able

magistrates？　Who；　of　such　men；　is　willing　to　bury　himself　in　the

arrondissements；　where　the　good　to　be　done　is　without　glory？　If；　by

chance；　some　ambitious　stranger　settles　there；　he　soon　falls　into　the

inertia　of　the　region；　and　tunes　himself　to　the　dreadful　key　of

provincial　life。　Issoudun　would　have　benumbed　Napoleon。



As　a　result　of　this　particular　characteristic；　the　arrondissement　of

Issoudun　was　governed；　in　1822；　by　men　who　all　belonged　to　Berry。　The

administration　of　power　became　either　a　nullity　or　a　farce；except　in

certain　cases；　naturally　very　rare；　which　by　their　manifest　importance

compelled　the　authorities　to　act。　The　procureur　du　roi；　Monsieur

Mouilleron；　was　cousin　to　the　entire　community；　and　his　substitute

belonged　to　one　of　the　families　of　the　town。　The　judge　of　the　court；

before　attaining　that　dignity；　was　made　famous　by　one　of　those

provincial　sayings　which　put　a　cap　and　bells　on　a　man's　head　for　the

rest　of　his　life。　As　he　ended　his　summing…up　of　all　the　facts　of　an

indictment；　he　looked　at　the　accused　and　said：　〃My　poor　Pierre！　the

thing　is　as　plain　as　day；　your　head　will　be　cut　off。　Let　this　be　a

lesson　to　you。〃　The　commissary　of　police；　holding　office　since　the

Restoration；　had　relations　throughout　the　arrondissement。　Moreover；

not　only　was　the　influence　of　religion　null；　but　the　curate　himself

was　held　in　no　esteem。



It　was　this　bourgeoisie；　radical；　ignorant；　and　loving　to　annoy

others；　w